The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-16
Near Boston Cut Down Somewhat, Hut tho
LiAt OF tho lnJurod Ia Increased Tho
Dridge u Nlckety structurc-A lie.
lated Story Of tho Wreck.

the hremen for the promptuess and hero.
Ism with which they faced their work.
The noise was simply terrible. The
shricking Of the women was piercing and
with the groans OF the wounded, caused
men to tremble. The women took It
coolly, however. Some OF the victims
walked about after the accident with
broken arms and though badly bruised
asked that help be extended to others who
needed aid.
+. A. Davidson, a passenger, says that
after the accident he ran TO Forest Hills
depot and requested tho man there to TEL
egraph for medical aid and police assist.
ance. This man said his instructions in
case OF accidents were to telegraph the
Superintendent only. Davidson then
went to q grocery store and telephoned
Tor medical assistance.
CAUSE OF ACCIDENT.
Prof. George F. Swain, Instructor Of
Civil Engineering and Hydraulics at the
Institute Of Technology and specialist on
bridge construction, has made close ex-
animation Of the bridge where the acci-
dent occurred. He is reported as saying
that the floor beam hangers were defec.
tive and had been largely eaten away by
rust; that the quality Of the material was
imperfect in some places, and that eoveral
portions Of the bridge showed evidence Of
faulty design in the trussee.
While the discussion OF the disaster WA
at its height, a report came that another
accident had occurred on the Providence
Railroad near Forest Hills. About seven
o'clock the local train between Boston ard
Forest Hills was making running switch
to bring the engine on the proper end for
the return train. Tbs engine failed to
run far enough ahead and in conse sequence
the engine and empty cars co!ided. One
Of the coaches was thrown across the
main traek and badly damaged. The en-
gine and tender were aleo badly damaged
and large hole made in the tank. A
wrecking train was summoned and the
track was cleared and traffic resumed.
Martin Lynch, sub.foreman Of the West
Roxbury paving department, was 8! work
yesterday morning with gang of five
men cutting willows. The party was sts-
toned $50 feet from the bridge on The
southeast OF tho structure, end every man
had an axe. Mr.. Lynch said this morn
ing; ave had just begun our work. 1
saw the train coming, end stopped to look
at it. l ssw 1t 10 on the bridge, and no.
ticed that the train was acting queer. The
engine and three cars were across, but tho
whole train WAS shaking and swaying,
Then just as the fourth car was half On
the bridge, and half on the embankment
on the other side the bridge vent down.
The fifth car plunged with it, and in its
fall dragged back and down into the pit
below the fourth car; which, ss have
said, WIGS already halfway on the bank,
The car behind tho fifth car came pluny.
ing, crashing down on it, and the LAST car Of
ali, the smoker; rolled oyer twice,
THE BRIDGE GOES DOWN.
"My God the bridge ia down run bows
and take your axes,' l yelled. / started
as fast as l could 60 and thoy with me,
1t was an ewtul sight. Such struggling
and sighing and moaning l never heard
in all my life. Some Of the paesenyers
who frat succeeded in getting clear OF tho
wreck eeemed dszed, bewildered and
scarcely able to realizs what had happen
ed or where they were. Olhers could and
did help rs, but on tho sopth side Of lhe
wreck there was no Lelp ior iully Ian
minutea. The smoker was the car We
came to frat. Our boys Hwung axes with
a will. We knocked in the end OF the car,
cut way between the windows and then
went in ourselves and began the work OF
rescue. We saw the uniform OF officer
Walter B. Tailor and took him out. He
was unconscious when we reached him,
and probably dead, although his lips
Guivered for minute or two after We laid
him out beside the vol!. We took out
Mr.. Snow, who was dying, and ct least
dozen injured persons. The unhurt, if
there were any don't remember seeing
man in thiscar but was more or less bruised
or SCARED, helped us and We emptied
the car, taking cut CUSHIONS and laying
the injured on them. BY this time teams
began to come, and We placed The wound
ed in them by twos and threes and they
were carried of to the engine house at
Roalindale. People were tiocking to the
place. l can't remember incidents with
much distinctnees after this, for I, too,
wss getting excited. I only know that
We kept work up till 10 o'clock and stayed
till all were taken away"
Owing to the duplication and mic1pell,
ing Of names, it is now believed that the
reports Of persons killed have been over
estimated. Up to noon to-day DR.. Draper
had signed q death certificates and Dr..
Harris 3, making the entire deaths up to
noon 81. A revised list Of the injured
shows that Iii persons were wounded.
THE ENGINEERS STORY. ,,.,-, a.,
At the Coroner'n investigation to-day,
Walter E. White, engineer OF the wrecked
train, said: was running l2 to Is miles
an hour OF the time Of the accident. When
| struck onto the bridge everything
seemed to DO oil right aud utrong with no
wavering, but when got to the Boston side
I saw the forward end Of the engine come
out with jar and the drivers come along
with shock. 1reversed the engine and
was about to atop, when I looked back
and cav the first and aecopd cars of the
track, and l concluded 10 20 back, and
Baw cloud Of smoke rise and then l knew
they had gone through the bridge.
| Il slowed up and had almost stopped
when l happened to think they needed
moro help that We two could not do much,
and 60 I ran to Forest Hills as quickly as
l could and summoned help. The bridge
was always as solid as rock. I never
noticed anything wrong with it; never
thought this particular bridge not atrouc
enough, and never felt any unesainess
about 1t. Witness said he could not say
for his life what caused the accident,
whether 1t was broken journal or broken
| axlo or broken rail. e t15 sT.t,ru-r
John Trip, Of Dsdham, head brake.
man, and Elisha Hannis. testified that
they hgl meyer noticed any jar TO the
train In psssing over the bridge, and had
never known anything to be the matter
with 1t. S'5' 1's'5-
Adjourned till tomorrow. Y5@. x
Bayview Mills Resume.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, March l5.-The mai
factory. and plate mill and cooper shop.
OF the North Chicago Rolling Mill Comps
ny's plant, at Bayview, have resumec
Operations after an idleness OF several
l